IRSN BAROMETER 2020
the perception of risks and security in France
http://barometre.irsn.fr

For more than 30 years, the IRSN Barometer has
been following annually the perception of risks
and security by the French people. This
continuous study provides precious insight tobetter understand risk perception, which in turnhelps IRSN better handle risk assessment. The
Barometer focuses on four major topics:
1) the current concerns of the French,
2) their views on science and expertise,3) their perception of various risk situations,4) their opinion on nuclear matters.
This year, for the 4th consecutive year, it also
displays four viewpoints from external experts.

Warning - The 2020 IRSN Barometer survey took place from November 18 to December 3, 2019, which was before the start ofthe covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, the following results reflect the opinions of the French people before this crisis.
The 2020 IRSN Barometer has been produced with the same
methodology as the previous editions. A face-to-face survey
was conducted amongst a representative sample of about

1,000 French people. The questionnaire evolved only
marginally, so as to take into account recent developments
without compromising the continuity of the data set.

The main concerns of the French have once again undergone

eastern France.

significant changes in 2019. "Extreme poverty and exclusion"

Concerning the catastrophic potential of industrial facilities,

is now at the top of the list, ahead of “the climate crisis” andterrorism. In 2018, it was third behind “the lack of security” andunemployment. Environmental concerns, now grouped in asingle response (instead of two previously), are in second
place, a sign of their growing significance for the French. “Thelack of security”, which was in the lead last year, drops to 5 thand loses 6 points. “The geopolitical instability" rises to 11 %,to be compared with the 4 % recorded in the previous edition,
as it entered the Barometer.

the Barometer does not record any "Lubrizol effect", which
could have been expected following the fire at the Lubrizol
chemical plant in Rouen on September 26, 2019. Chemical
installations remain stable (18 %) and take third place behind
nuclear power plants (33 %) and radioactive waste disposals(20 %).
The French show a strong confidence in science and expertise
this year again. In response to a new question, more than 70 %say they trust scientific institutions. Plus, 65 % have a good orRegarding the main environmental concern, "the climate

very good opinion of scientific experts (+ 7 points) and only

crisis" remains clearly on top, gathering about a third of the5 % have a bad or very bad opinion of them. As for the qualities

responses (- 4 points since 2018 but + 18 points since 2013).

expected from said experts, "competence" is first: the French"The disappearance of animal species" (15 %) stays second.

massively label it as important (91 %), before "honesty" (87 %).

Third place goes this year to "damages due to natural

Finally, a large majority (76 %) of French people support adisasters", up from 5th last year (13 %, + 5 points). The survey

wider recourse to experts by political decision-makers.

was conducted during a flood and mudslide episode in south-

Broad access to quality information still matters a great deal:

This year, the Barometer continues to follow more than 30

expert bodies making their reports public is deemed “a priority”

risk situations. For each of them, the French were questioned

for 78 %. And 74 % believe that the same bodies shouldon two dimensions: the perceived level of risk and the trust incommit to answering all citizens' questions.

the authorities to handle the situation.

Pluralistic bodies (composed of operators, experts, elected

In terms of perceived level of risk, the top three situations

officials, citizens…) are viewed as useful by 89 % of Frenchremain as last year: terrorism (65 % judge the risk “high”),people. However, the willingness to get personally involved bycancer (64 %) and pesticides (55 %). We observe a sharp

participating to public meetings continues to decline. It has

increase for “floods” and “heat waves”: between 2017 andfallen from 59 % to 44 % between 2004 and 2019. The reasons

2019, “heat wave” rose from 28th to 15th position; “floods”

given by those who are reluctant are primarily “a lack of time”

rose from 24th to 14th. “Nuclear power plants” (44 %) andand “the fact that other people are more competent (…)".

“radioactive waste” (44 %) stay in the middle. “Medical Xrays” (18 %), “radon” (21 %) and “radiation therapy accidents”(22 %) have, as is customary, the lowest level of perceived
risk.
The trust level the French have in theauthorities to protect them from risk
situations increases overall. It is thehighest for handling “forest fires”(61 %). At the opposite, it is the lowest
for “pesticides” (32 %). Regarding
nuclear power plants, the trust level(responses "yes") exceeds the mistrustlevel (responses "no") for the first timein 13 years, with 45 % versus 31 %. As
for radioactive waste, its position
remains stable but the level of mistrust
has never been so low and settles at thesame level as the trust score (36 %).
This year, the Barometer took a closer
look at the French people's knowledgeof radon-related risk. Two questions
havebeen added to assess theknowledge level of the type of risk
involvedandprevention.

oftheAcross-tabulationmeansofindicates that only two out of ten
French people haveknowledge of this risk.

acomplete

Among the various energy sources available, solar and wind

accidents of Chernobyl and Fukushima (tied at 23 %), ahead ofpower have the most favorable image. Nuclear energy is

the Japanese earthquake and tsunami of March 2011 (12 %)viewed positively by a third of the French people, leaving only

and the explosion of the AZF chemical plant in Toulouse,oil behind. The two strongest arguments in favor of nuclear

France, in 2001 (12 %).

power are “energy independence” and “the low cost of

The requirement for a high level of nuclear safety is confirmedelectricity”. The top two arguments against are “the productionof radioactive waste” and “the risk of an accident”.

by 86 % of French people who state that "nuclear site operators
must protect their facilities from all risks, even those considered

For the first time this year, the Barometer asked the French anvery unlikely" and 82 % who consider it a priority to "strengthen

open-ended question. The respondents each gave theinspections of facilities by the competent authorities".

investigators the first three words that the term "nuclear"

Finally, regarding the competence and credibility of the actors

evoked to them. The results show (see the word cloud on p. 45of the Barometer) that the French primarily associate the word
"nuclear" with its function of energy source : terms "NPP","energy" and "electricity". In a second phase, more fearfulterms are cited, with the words "danger", "explosion" and "risk".

of the nuclear field, we observe a more positive perception ofplayers overall. For the first time this year, the French nuclear
safety authority (ASN), CNRS and IRSN are viewed as the mostcompetent and most credible actors of the field. The actors
perceived as the least credible and competent remain trade

Questioned about catastrophic events they view as mostunions, journalists, but above all political actors, at both local

significant, the French continue to be marked by the nuclear

and national levels.